Rectification system



June 9, 1942. w. H". BENNETT 2,285,402

RECTIFICATION SYSTEM Filed May 22, 1940 OUTPUT x3 @f INVENTOR.

Patented June 9, 1942 NTA OFFICE nEcTIFioa'rroN SYSTEM Willard H IBennett, Newarblohio, assignoi'l to y Slayter Electronic Corporation, a corporation of ohio` Y Application May 22, 1940,- serial'No. 336,678

40mm.' .(Ci. '11s-363) I My invention relates broadly'to anfmprovedrectication sy'stem for Valternating current land more particularly to amethod andapparatus'for producing rectified current from high voltage alternating current.

This application isa continuationhin-part of 1o,` 1938, fof Rectincation systepmg(- Y l .One of the 7 objects o fl my invention is' to' provide amethod for; rectifying high'volta'ge alternating current for producing rectified current by employing the inequality of magnitude of. positive and negativecurrents inl electric' dis-l charges in .a two electrode device at substantially atmospheric' pressures. 4 l

Another object of my invention isto provide a systemof rectification 'employing an arrangement of discharge points'in'spacial 'relation to a target electrode arranged in series with anl al1- .tern' ating current supplyfcircuit forl delivering rectifiedv current to a load.

Still another objectof my invention is topro vide va system of rectification in which an 'arrangement of discharge points in spacial relaf tion to a target at" atmospheric pressures is elec'.

my .application ASerial No. 224,217., filed August trically biased from theapplied 'energy tof secure rectification of applied energy.

A further object of' 'my invention is to provide a rectificationl system of the class described whichis'readily adaptable to multiple unit 4arrangement and cascade operation.

A still further object ot"- my inventionA is vto 'provide an arrangement of two electrode rectifier which particularly effective forope'ration in attaching gases in which a -ballasted discharge isemployed between discharge points and a target, the discharge path being interposed between an alternating current source yand the load.

Another object of myinvention is to provide a two electrode discharge device comprising-discharge points correlatedfor operation `with-ire spect 'to a target in freeelectron gases, v4the discharge device being disposedfin a path intermediate an alternating current supply sourceand a load.

' Other and further objects of' my invention reside in a circuit arrangement and method of operation of a two electrode rectifier asset forth morev fully inthe specification hereinafter following by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: I Figure 1 shows a two electrode rectification system embodyingmy invention; Fig'.- 2` shows a .modified form of two electroderectificationsy'sof my invention;A Fig-'3 showscharacteristic.

curvesrepresenting" the magnitude of the cur'- rent which passes in al discharge device operating in'accordancewith my invention and ldrawn as'a function of the applied voltagebetween the emitter and the target electrode; Fig. 4 shows characteristicA curves of the current passing in the circuit of Figs.4 1 and 2 asa function ofthe potential difference across the vsecondary of the Y power supply transformer; Fig. 5shows a modiiied-circuit for-arectication system embodying my invention in which double voltage is obtained' in the outputof the rectiiier'as compared with the circuits of.li'gs A 1 and 2; and Fig. 6 illustrates a circuit arrangement for the cascade operation of a multiple number of rectifier cir- Cults.

' My invention-is directed to an improved high voltage rectification system which makes use of a two electrode device comprising discharge points or'edges directed toward a target. .i The dischargepoints or edges areconnected in cir-l cuit-with the alternating current supply system. The load' circuit which receives the direct current is connected in a path through the discharge gap between the target .electrode and discharge points and the source ofapplied potential. With alternating'current supplied to the'input system of the device, direct current is derived from the output circuit of the device. The two electrode rectifier thus formed is operative in the open air using a ballasted discharge or in an atmosphere of attaching gases or in free electron gases.. `The rectification system is self-biasing from the applied input potential and continuous operation of the rectifier may be maintained upon application of the applied alternating current .source for deriving a steady direct current. A

Referring to the4 drawingin more detail, Fig. l illustratesone rectication circuit arrangement embodying the principles. -of my invention and utilizing self-biasing discharge components in the two electrode device as will be hereinafter more fullyunderstood. 4Reference character I designates the input circuit to the high voltage rectiiier constitutedby aprimary winding of transformer 2. .The secondary winding of transformer 2 is indicated at'3 having one end 4 connected to the condenser I3 and the other. end 5 'connected to the emittingpoints or discharge electrode 6.- The discharge electrode 6 comprises a multiplicityof discharge points directed toward a target electrode 1. In Fig. 2 I 'have .tem arraged'm mol-dance within-principles 65 shown an; arrangement similar to that illusl are reversed in position with respect to the target electrode 1. 'Ihe target electrode '1 connects to one end of the secondary winding 3, while the discharge points 6 connect to the load circuit. The directcurrent output terminals conn'ect across the condenser I3 in both circuits as shown.

In the operation of the circuit of Figs. 1 or 2 when the voltage across the transformer secondary is gradually increased, more current will pass during those half cycles than when the points are negative than when positive, and'so the condenser becomes charged atl the polarity shown. Continued application ofA transformer voltage produces a condition where as much current passes one way as in the opposite -way on successive half cycles except for the D. C. drawn to the output. This condition obtained when the condenser has an average voltage equal approximately to ee shown in the `curve of Fig. 4. This voltage is the average of the voltages at point A and B on the positive and negative branches of the characteristic curves which are the voltage across the discharge component needed to draw the equal and opposite instantaneous current i at peak voltages. The voltages A and B are those for which the integrated currents are the same, but this diners by a factor of very low order if the condenser I3 used-has suiilcient capacity to keep the ripple to a small percentage of the D. C. voltage on the condenser I3.

.In Fig. 3 is represented themagnitude of the current which passes in such a discharge device as a function of the voltage. Itis to be observed that the current which passes when the points are negative has a greater magnitude than that of the current which passes at`the same voltage when the points are positive. Likewise, the voltage required to draw any given negative current is smaller in magnitude than Ithe voltage needed to draw a positive current of the same magnitude.

The D. C. voltage produced by the circuit of Figs. 1 or 2 can be developed with more continuous use of the transformer using the circuit shown in Fig. 5. In the circuit of Fig. 5 I provide a dual arrangement of rectification systems in which emitting points 6 coact with targets I disposed in series with condenser 8. A reverse arrangement of coacting electrodes is provided by an assembly of discharge points 6 coacting with targets I in .circuit with condenser 8. The output circuit is connected adjacent target 1 and discharge points 6' and is designated at 9. The direction of the potential difference accumulated on the two condensers 8 and 8 is made opposite by reversing the vdirection of the two discharge components, so that the potential diiference between A and B (Fig. 4) accumulates through twice the potential on either condenser l or 8'. The current capacity of the circuit is the same as that of the previous circuit but the voltage is doubled in the output circuit 9 as indicated at 2e.

In very high voltage rectiflers still further cascading of the .elements can be used for further increasing' the voltage. In Fig. 6 is shown the circuit to be used for this purpose, the dotted lines indicating that anynumber of successive 'stages can be used. I n this arrangement, I have represented the input transformer generally at 2 having primary winding i and secondary winding 3, the terminal I4 of which connects through fa series of successive condenser stages shown at l5, I8, I1, l8 and I9, etc. 'Ihe opposite side 20 2,285,402 hated in Fig, 1 except that the emitting peints of secondary winding 3 connects through the discharge components illustrated at 2l, 22, 23, 24, 25, 2B and 21, etc., in series. It will be observed that the discharge points of the discharge component 2| connect to one side of the line 'while the coacting target of discharge component 2| connects with the discharge points of succeeding discharge component 22, etc., and so on through the series of discharge components.

Each pair of the discharge components is` bridged by a condenser which I have illustrated at 28, 29, 30, etc. The high voltage direct current is delivered at terminals 3|, 32. The dotted lines indicate that any number of successive stages may be employed. The high voltage rectifier as descri-bed herein may be used for biasing the control grid of a simple three-electrode rectier of large dimensions. The total voltage obtained from the circuit of Fig. 6 is the voltage bias of one of the discharge components, multiplied by the number of those components used in series. The circuit of Fig. l6 employs both half cycles of the transformer voltage.

I have shown the discharge' system of my invention functioning generally in the open air and at substantially atmospheric pressures. Surging' or arcing are prevented in the discharge system by the ballasting of the discharge members either by the construction of such members or by the inter-position of suitable resistance in circuit with the discharge members. I may also employ the ballasted discharge members in attaching gases or in free electron gases. The condenser employed in circuit with the discharge system serves to build up the bias potential to a value at which the selected bias potential on the discharge points and on the target may be maintained throughout the period of operation of the rectiiier. The condenser also serves to steady the potential on theelectrodes i'rrespectiveof variations in supply potential and to smooth out the rectified current supplied to the load.

While I have shown certain preferred embodiments of -my invention, I realize that modications may be made and I desire that it be understood that no limitations upon my invention are intended other than may be imposed by the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is as follows:

1. A high voltage rectiiier 4operating below surging and arcing conditions, said rectier comprising in combination with a source of alternating current, a set of coacting electrodes including a target electrode and a multiplicity of emitting electrodes directed toward said target electrode and maintained at substantially atmospheric pressure, a connection between the multiplicity of emitting electrodes and one side of said source, a connection between the opposite side of said source and one side of a load, a connection between said target electrode and the opposite side of the load, and a condenser connected betweenl the last mentioned side of said source and said target electrode.

2. A high voltage rectifier operating below surging and varcing conditions, said rectier comprising in combination with a-source of alternating current, a set of coacting electrodes including a target electrode and a multiplicity of emitting electrodes directed toward said target electrode and maintained at substantially atmospheric pressure, a connection between said target electrode andvone side of said alternating current source, a connection between the oppobination with a source of alternating current,

pairs of coacting electrodes, each pair of coacting electrodesincluding a multiplicity of emitting members and a target electrode, a connection between one side of said alternating current source and the multiplicity of emitting members of one of the pair of coacting electrodes, a connection between the same side of the source and the target electrode of the other pair of coacting electrodes, a connection through a condenser irom the opposite side of the alternating current source and the target electrode of the first mentioned pair of coacting electrodes, a connection between the last mentioned side of said alternating current source through a condenser to the multiplicity of emitting members of the other pair of coacting electrodes, and an output circuit intermediate each of the condensers and the target and multiplicity of emitting members connected thereto.

4.-A.high voltage rectier comprising in combination with a source of alternating current, a pair of discharge units, each including la target member and a target electrode and a plurality of emitting members directed toward the said target electrode, a connection from one side of said source to the plurality of emitting members of one of said units and the target electrode of the other of said units, capacitive connections between the opposite side of said source and the target electrode of said rst mentioned unit and the multiplicity of emitting members of said second mentioned unit, and an output circuit connected to said last mentioned target electrode and said last mentioned multiplicity of emitting members.

WILLARD H. BENNETT. 

